Generally, aircraft are sold to airline companies as an engine and fuselage which the particular airline companies may customize. The aircraft manufacturer generally manufacturers aircraft for a wholesale or general market allowing the airlines to make additions and changes to the aircraft. Generally, airline companies install additional and supplementary elements, such as seats, In-Flight Entertainment system components, and galleys, into the aircraft after the aircraft has been completed, but before delivery. These additional elements assist or are useful to the passengers and may include newer or additional technology components. Some of these components include personal computer power outlets, phones, and the components capable of providing multiple video channel, audio channels, and data management.
Many of these components are installed into the seats themselves so that they can be accessed by passengers sitting in each seat. Currently, many seats in commercial aircraft include passenger control units, which control functions such as attendant call, a seat video display, a phone, or computer interface. Wiring bundles connect all of the seats and electronic components. The wiring bundles comprise all of the necessary electrical cabling. The wiring bundles run overhead in the aircraft down the sidewall, in a space between the sidewall and the exterior of the aircraft, and to the seats or through floor mounted junction boxes to the seats. Additional wiring also runs from seat to seat connecting the various components. Each of the components has its own seat mounted wiring, circuitry, and electronics components, such as a seat electronics box (SEB) or a seat electronics unit (SEU). Much of the wiring, however, between the main wiring and the separate components is redundant, increasing the volume and the mass of wiring which simply replicates the functions of other wiring. In many instances a separate SEB/SEU performs similar or redundant functions for each component.
These multiple boxes and redundant wiring systems increase the weight, power consumption, and the volume of space required in an aircraft for their installation. In particular, the multiple redundant boxes reduce leg room and comfort of a passenger. Most significantly, the redundant circuitry increases the weight of the aircraft thereby decreasing pay load capacity and increasing the fuel consumption of an aircraft during powered flight. Furthermore, the components increase the total cost and weight of the final seat assembly. If a component fails, repair of the component may require replacing the affected component. This is particularly cumbersome when many of the components are manufactured by various vendors requiring vast stockpiles and disparate specialized knowledge in the maintenance and/or replacement of such components.